PhilosophyOur Philosophy
We believe that appropriate financial planning and investment management are necessary components of any individual’s goal to attain financial peace of mind.
Our Philosophy
People attain peace of mind over their finances when they have superior knowledge of their finances. Our planning and investment management services provide our clients with that understanding in several areas. We help them to identify, prioritize, and price their lifetime goals. We help clients to understand their current and possible future financial resources. We profile their investment risk tolerance so they can invest confidently, and in a manner consistent with achieving their goals. We employ tax minimization strategies. We advise on insurance products to manage catastrophic risks and consult on estate planning strategies to permit clients to leave a legacy.
We seek long-term relationships with clients, and so we believe:
- Client goals must be identified if comprehensive planning is to be effective. RFA will work with you to help define and quantify your goals and prioritize their order.
- Implementing plan recommendations based on your unique goals and individual circumstances is the true value of financial planning, not the printed materials you receive.
- Sharing personal information on your financial life can feel invasive and is best done during face-to-face meeting. To supplement these meetings we encourage communicating by email. All information, both oral and written, will be kept confidential. For your safety, our server is protected by a hardware firewall and additionally each computer has a software based firewall along with anti-virus software that is updated regularly.
- Mutual trust and respect is critical for a successful relationship. If at any time you question our ability to serve your needs, we must first be made aware of your concerns before we can take the necessary corrective steps.
- Mistakes sometimes happen and we pledge to make every effort to correct them to your satisfaction. Please bring any error to our attention immediately so it can be corrected.
- Each client is unique and what may be right for one person may not be appropriate for you.
- Synergy is important when working with other members of your financial team. We will work with your accountant, attorney, banker, insurance agents or any other advisors to keep them informed.
- Tax ramifications are important when considering investment decisions, but they should not be the sole reason in reaching a decision.
- Client involvement is essential to prepare a plan. From time to time we will ask for your assistance in providing additional information or your response to an important issue. A delay in providing this information may slow the preparation of your plan.
- Long term results are our primary focus. Excess concentration on the short term may be counterproductive to achieving your goals.
- Portfolio diversification is important in reducing the risk of over-concentration in a limited number of investments.
- Mutual funds can reduce risk, and along with exchange traded funds, should be the core of most investor portfolios.
- Maintaining personal wealth is far easier than recreating it. We assist our clients in creating an appropriate asset allocation based on their individual risk tolerance.
- Financial security is a goal we assist each client in striving to achieve. We will notify you of any issues that we believe may jeopardize this goal.
- Market timing increases risk. We believe clients should view their investment portfolio with a long term time horizon. Funds intended to be used in less than three years should not be in equities, but rather in money markets or short term fixed income securities with similar maturities.
- Asset allocation reduces risk. We create investment portfolios using multiple asset classes and management styles to reduce the exposure of significant loss.
- Client risk tolerance must be carefully determined to create and monitor an appropriate investment portfolio with an acceptable level of risk and reward.
- Reducing estate taxes does not happen by accident. We work with clients according to their wishes to maximize the transfer of their wealth at death.
- The interest in fee only planning is growing and RFA intends to expand beyond its present size. We encourage you to share our name with others.